Grammar Patterns
Grammar patterns found in 手袋を買いに (Buying Mittens), with examples from the story. JLPT levels are estimates.
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜ようとする
Meaning: "Try to ...; be about to ...".
Form: Verb volitional form + とする（と致す）
In this story
-
或朝洞穴から子供の狐が出ようとしましたが、
One morning the fox cub was about to go out of the den when,
-
およしなさいっていうのもきかないで、お友達の狐が、或る家の家鴨を盗もうとしたので、お百姓に見つかって、さんざ追いまくられて、命からがら逃げたことでした。
Though she had told her not to, her friend had tried to steal a duck from a certain house; a farmer found them, they were chased and chased, and they barely escaped with their lives.
-
「森の子狐もお母さん狐のお唄をきいて、洞穴の中で眠ろうとしているでしょうね。
"The little fox in the forest must be listening to his mother's song, too, and trying to go to sleep in their den.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ながら
Meaning: "While ...ing": two actions by the same person at the same time.
Form: Verb ます-stem + ながら
In this story
-
「あっ」と叫んで眼を抑えながら母さん狐のところへころげて来ました。
crying "Ah!", he came tumbling back to his mother, holding his eyes.
-
母さん狐がびっくりして、あわてふためきながら、眼を抑えている子供の手を恐る恐るとりのけて見ましたが、何も刺さってはいませんでした。
The mother fox was startled and, in a fluster, nervously moved the cub's hands away from his eyes and looked, but nothing was stuck in them.
-
お母さん狐は、心配しながら、坊やの狐の帰って来るのを、今か今かとふるえながら待っていましたので、坊やが来ると、暖い胸に抱きしめて泣きたいほどよろこびました。
The mother fox had been worrying and waiting, trembling, for her boy to come back at any moment, so when he came she hugged him to her warm breast and was so happy she could have cried.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てくる
Meaning: Something comes toward the speaker, or a change starts and goes on ("it's getting ...").
Form: Verb て-form + くる
In this story
-
「あっ」と叫んで眼を抑えながら母さん狐のところへころげて来ました。
crying "Ah!", he came tumbling back to his mother, holding his eyes.
-
「どたどた、ざーっ」と物凄い音がして、パン粉のような粉雪が、ふわーっと子狐におっかぶさって来ました。
there was a tremendous noise, "Thud-thud, whoosh!", and powder snow like breadcrumbs came softly down all over the cub.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てみる
Meaning: "Try ...ing; ... and see".
Form: Verb て-form + みる（見る）
In this story
-
母さん狐がびっくりして、あわてふためきながら、眼を抑えている子供の手を恐る恐るとりのけて見ましたが、何も刺さってはいませんでした。
The mother fox was startled and, in a fluster, nervously moved the cub's hands away from his eyes and looked, but nothing was stuck in them.
-
坊やの狐はその手をひろげたり握ったり、抓って見たり、嗅いで見たりしました。
The cub opened and closed the hand, pinched it, and sniffed at it.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜うちに
Meaning: "While ...; before ... changes": within a period of time.
Form: Verb (plain) / Noun + の + うちに（中に）
In this story
-
昨夜のうちに、真白な雪がどっさり降ったのです。
During the night, a great deal of pure white snow had fallen.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜のだ／〜のです
Meaning: Explains a situation or gives the reason behind it ("the thing is ...").
Form: Plain form + のだ / のです（Noun / な-adj + なのだ）
In this story
-
昨夜のうちに、真白な雪がどっさり降ったのです。
During the night, a great deal of pure white snow had fallen.
-
雪を知らなかった子供の狐は、あまり強い反射をうけたので、眼に何か刺さったと思ったのでした。
The cub had never known snow, and the glare was so strong that he thought something had stuck in his eyes.
-
いいかい坊や、町へ行ったらね、たくさん人間の家があるからね、まず表に円いシャッポの看板のかかっている家を探すんだよ。
Now listen, my boy. When you get to town, there will be lots of human houses, so first look for the house with a sign of a round hat hanging out front.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ので
Meaning: "Because ...; so ...": gives a reason (softer than から).
Form: Plain form + ので（Noun / な-adj + なので）
In this story
-
その雪の上からお陽さまがキラキラと照していたので、雪は眩しいほど反射していたのです。
The sun was shining brightly down on that snow, so the snow was reflecting the light until it was dazzling.
-
子狐はその光がまばゆかったので、めんくらって、まちがった方の手を、――お母さまが出しちゃいけないと言ってよく聞かせた方の手をすきまからさしこんでしまいました。
The light was so dazzling that the cub was thrown into confusion, and he put the wrong hand, the very hand his mother had told him again and again not to put out, in through the gap.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜ほど（程度）
Meaning: "So ... that ...; to the point of ...": shows how far something goes.
Form: Plain form / Noun + ほど
In this story
-
その雪の上からお陽さまがキラキラと照していたので、雪は眩しいほど反射していたのです。
The sun was shining brightly down on that snow, so the snow was reflecting the light until it was dazzling.
-
お母さん狐は、心配しながら、坊やの狐の帰って来るのを、今か今かとふるえながら待っていましたので、坊やが来ると、暖い胸に抱きしめて泣きたいほどよろこびました。
The mother fox had been worrying and waiting, trembling, for her boy to come back at any moment, so when he came she hugged him to her warm breast and was so happy she could have cried.
-
-
JLPT N5 estimated
〜に行く（目的）
Meaning: "Go to do ...": the purpose of going.
Form: Verb ます-stem + に行く
In this story
-
子供の狐は遊びに行きました。
The fox cub went out to play.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ように（比喩）
Meaning: "Like ...; as if ...": compares something to something else.
Form: Noun + の / Verb (plain) + ように
In this story
-
真綿のように柔かい雪の上を駈け廻ると、雪の粉が、しぶきのように飛び散って小さい虹がすっと映るのでした。
As he ran about on snow as soft as floss silk, the powdery snow flew up like spray, and little rainbows flickered in it.
-
まだ枝と枝の間から白い絹糸のように雪がこぼれていました。
Snow was still spilling down between the branches like white silk thread.
-
自転車の看板や、眼鏡の看板やその他いろんな看板が、あるものは、新しいペンキで画かれ、或るものは、古い壁のようにはげていましたが、町に始めて出て来た子狐にはそれらのものがいったい何であるか分らないのでした。
There was a bicycle sign, an eyeglasses sign, and all sorts of other signs, some freshly painted and some peeling like an old wall, but the cub, who had come to town for the first time, had no idea what any of them were.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜だろう（推量）
Meaning: "Probably ...; I bet ...": the speaker's guess (casual form of でしょう).
Form: Plain form + だろう
In this story
-
何だろうと思ってふり返って見ましたが何もいませんでした。
Wondering what it was, he looked back, but nothing was there.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てやる
Meaning: Doing something for someone of equal or lower status (or an animal).
Form: Verb て-form + やる
In this story
-
母さん狐は、その手に、は――っと息をふっかけて、ぬくとい母さんの手でやんわり包んでやりながら、
The mother fox breathed "haah" on those hands and, wrapping them gently in her own warm ones,
-
「決して、こっちの手を出しちゃいけないよ、こっちの方、ほら人間の手の方をさしだすんだよ」と言って、母さんの狐は、持って来た二つの白銅貨を、人間の手の方へ握らせてやりました。
"You must never put out this hand. This one, see, hold out the human hand," she said, and the mother fox put the two nickel coins she had brought into the human hand.
-
帽子屋さんはそれを人差指のさきにのっけて、カチ合せて見ると、チンチンとよい音がしましたので、これは木の葉じゃない、ほんとのお金だと思いましたので、棚から子供用の毛糸の手袋をとり出して来て子狐の手に持たせてやりました。
The hatter set them on the tip of his forefinger and knocked them together. They rang with a good clink, so he thought, "These are not leaves, this is real money," and he took a pair of children's woolen mittens down from the shelf and put them in the cub's hand.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜と（条件）
Meaning: "When ...; whenever ...; if ...": the second thing always or naturally follows the first.
Form: Verb (dictionary / ない-form) + と
In this story
-
「もうすぐ暖くなるよ、雪をさわると、すぐ暖くなるもんだよ」といいましたが、かあいい坊やの手に霜焼ができてはかわいそうだから、夜になったら、町まで行って、坊やのお手々にあうような毛糸の手袋を買ってやろうと思いました。
said, "They'll soon be warm. When you touch snow, they get warm right away." But she thought it would be a pity if her dear boy got chilblains, so when night came she would go to town and buy him woolen mittens to fit his little hands.
-
「人間はね、相手が狐だと解ると、手袋を売ってくれないんだよ、それどころか、掴まえて檻の中へ入れちゃうんだよ、人間ってほんとに恐いものなんだよ」
"If humans find out they are dealing with a fox, they won't sell you mittens. Worse than that, they catch you and put you in a cage. Humans are truly frightening things."
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜ものだ（当然）
Meaning: "It is natural that ...; that is how things are": states something as a general rule.
Form: Verb (dictionary) + ものだ（ものです）
In this story
-
「もうすぐ暖くなるよ、雪をさわると、すぐ暖くなるもんだよ」といいましたが、かあいい坊やの手に霜焼ができてはかわいそうだから、夜になったら、町まで行って、坊やのお手々にあうような毛糸の手袋を買ってやろうと思いました。
said, "They'll soon be warm. When you touch snow, they get warm right away." But she thought it would be a pity if her dear boy got chilblains, so when night came she would go to town and buy him woolen mittens to fit his little hands.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜ては
Meaning: "If you (go on) ..., (something bad will happen)": a condition with an unwanted result.
Form: Verb て-form + は
In this story
-
「もうすぐ暖くなるよ、雪をさわると、すぐ暖くなるもんだよ」といいましたが、かあいい坊やの手に霜焼ができてはかわいそうだから、夜になったら、町まで行って、坊やのお手々にあうような毛糸の手袋を買ってやろうと思いました。
said, "They'll soon be warm. When you touch snow, they get warm right away." But she thought it would be a pity if her dear boy got chilblains, so when night came she would go to town and buy him woolen mittens to fit his little hands.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜たら
Meaning: "If / when ...": a condition, often about one particular case.
Form: Verb た-form + ら
In this story
-
「もうすぐ暖くなるよ、雪をさわると、すぐ暖くなるもんだよ」といいましたが、かあいい坊やの手に霜焼ができてはかわいそうだから、夜になったら、町まで行って、坊やのお手々にあうような毛糸の手袋を買ってやろうと思いました。
said, "They'll soon be warm. When you touch snow, they get warm right away." But she thought it would be a pity if her dear boy got chilblains, so when night came she would go to town and buy him woolen mittens to fit his little hands.
-
いいかい坊や、町へ行ったらね、たくさん人間の家があるからね、まず表に円いシャッポの看板のかかっている家を探すんだよ。
Now listen, my boy. When you get to town, there will be lots of human houses, so first look for the house with a sign of a round hat hanging out front.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ようと思う
Meaning: "I think I'll ...; I'm going to ...": the speaker's intention.
Form: Verb volitional form + と思う（とおもう）
In this story
-
「もうすぐ暖くなるよ、雪をさわると、すぐ暖くなるもんだよ」といいましたが、かあいい坊やの手に霜焼ができてはかわいそうだから、夜になったら、町まで行って、坊やのお手々にあうような毛糸の手袋を買ってやろうと思いました。
said, "They'll soon be warm. When you touch snow, they get warm right away." But she thought it would be a pity if her dear boy got chilblains, so when night came she would go to town and buy him woolen mittens to fit his little hands.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ても
Meaning: "Even if ...; no matter ...": the result does not change.
Form: Verb て-form + も
In this story
-
暗い暗い夜が風呂敷のような影をひろげて野原や森を包みにやって来ましたが、雪はあまり白いので、包んでも包んでも白く浮びあがっていました。
The dark, dark night came, spreading its shadow like a wrapping cloth to wrap up the fields and the forest, but the snow was so white that however much the night wrapped it, it still stood out white.
-
だって僕の手を見てもどうもしなかったもの」と思いました。
After all, he saw my hand and didn't do a thing to me," he thought.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
使役（〜せる／させる）
Meaning: Causative: to make or let someone do something.
Form: Verb causative form（坐らせる / やめさせる）
In this story
-
子供の方はお母さんのお腹の下へはいりこんで、そこからまんまるな眼をぱちぱちさせながら、あっちやこっちを見ながら歩いて行きました。
The cub crept in under his mother's belly and walked along from there, blinking his perfectly round eyes and looking this way and that.
-
そこで、しかたがないので、坊やだけを一人で町まで行かせることになりました。
So, since there was no help for it, it was decided that the boy would go to town by himself.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜始める
Meaning: "Begin to ...; start ...ing".
Form: Verb ます-stem + 始める（はじめる）
In this story
-
やがて、行手にぽっつりあかりが一つ見え始めました。
Before long, a single light came into view ahead of them.
-
子狐は、お礼を言ってまた、もと来た道を帰り始めました。
The cub said thank you and started back the way he had come.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てる（〜ている）
Meaning: The spoken, shortened form of 〜ている: the い drops out.
Form: Verb て-form + る（見ている → 見てる）
In this story
-
「母ちゃん、お星さまは、あんな低いところにも落ちてるのねえ」とききました。
asked, "Mommy, do stars fall down as low as that, too?"
-
「母ちゃん、こんな寒い夜は、森の子狐は寒い寒いって啼いてるでしょうね」
"Mommy, on a cold night like this, the little fox in the forest must be crying, 'It's cold, it's cold.'"
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てしまう
Meaning: Shows that an action is completely finished, often with regret or an unwanted result.
Form: Verb て-form + しまう
In this story
-
「あれはお星さまじゃないのよ」と言って、その時母さん狐の足はすくんでしまいました。
"That is not a star," she said, and at that moment the mother fox's legs froze.
-
やがて町にはいりましたが通りの家々はもうみんな戸を閉めてしまって、高い窓から暖かそうな光が、道の雪の上に落ちているばかりでした。
Before long he entered the town, but the houses along the street had all shut their doors already, and only warm-looking light fell from the high windows onto the snow in the road.
-
子狐はその光がまばゆかったので、めんくらって、まちがった方の手を、――お母さまが出しちゃいけないと言ってよく聞かせた方の手をすきまからさしこんでしまいました。
The light was so dazzling that the cub was thrown into confusion, and he put the wrong hand, the very hand his mother had told him again and again not to put out, in through the gap.
-
-
JLPT N5 estimated
〜なさい
Meaning: A command that is softer than the plain command form. Parents and teachers use it to children.
Form: Verb ます-stem + なさい（お + ます-stem + なさい is more polite）
In this story
-
およしなさいっていうのもきかないで、お友達の狐が、或る家の家鴨を盗もうとしたので、お百姓に見つかって、さんざ追いまくられて、命からがら逃げたことでした。
Though she had told her not to, her friend had tried to steal a duck from a certain house; a farmer found them, they were chased and chased, and they barely escaped with their lives.
-
さあ坊やも早くねんねしなさい。
Now, you go to sleep quickly too, my boy.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ないで
Meaning: "Without doing ...; not doing ... (but doing something else)".
Form: Verb ない-form + で
In this story
-
およしなさいっていうのもきかないで、お友達の狐が、或る家の家鴨を盗もうとしたので、お百姓に見つかって、さんざ追いまくられて、命からがら逃げたことでした。
Though she had told her not to, her friend had tried to steal a duck from a certain house; a farmer found them, they were chased and chased, and they barely escaped with their lives.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
受身（〜られる）
Meaning: Passive voice: the subject receives the action.
Form: Verb passive form（追い上げられる / 沈められる）
In this story
-
およしなさいっていうのもきかないで、お友達の狐が、或る家の家鴨を盗もうとしたので、お百姓に見つかって、さんざ追いまくられて、命からがら逃げたことでした。
Though she had told her not to, her friend had tried to steal a duck from a certain house; a farmer found them, they were chased and chased, and they barely escaped with their lives.
-
と言って、雪あかりに、またその、人間の手に変えられてしまった自分の手をしげしげと見つめました。
he said, and in the light of the snow he stared again at his own hand, which had been changed into a human hand.
-
子狐は教えられた通り、トントンと戸を叩きました。
Just as he had been told, the cub knocked on the door, knock-knock.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ことになる
Meaning: "It turns out that ...; it comes to be that ...": a situation that results, not one's own decision.
Form: Verb (plain) + ことになる（事になる）
In this story
-
そこで、しかたがないので、坊やだけを一人で町まで行かせることになりました。
So, since there was no help for it, it was decided that the boy would go to town by himself.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜間に
Meaning: "While ...": something happens, or is finished, at some point within a period of time.
Form: Verb ている / Noun + の + 間に（あいだに）
In this story
-
その手を、母さん狐はしばらく握っている間に、可愛いい人間の子供の手にしてしまいました。
The mother fox held that hand for a while, and in that time she turned it into a sweet little human child's hand.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜たり〜たりする
Meaning: "Do things like ... and ...": gives some examples from several actions.
Form: Verb た-form + り、Verb た-form + り + する
In this story
-
坊やの狐はその手をひろげたり握ったり、抓って見たり、嗅いで見たりしました。
The cub opened and closed the hand, pinched it, and sniffed at it.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜って（引用）
Meaning: The spoken form of the quoting と: "say that ...", "say '...'".
Form: Quoted words + って + 言う / 聞く etc.
In this story
-
それが見つかったらね、トントンと戸を叩いて、今晩はって言うんだよ。
When you find it, knock on the door, knock-knock, and say 'Good evening.'
-
そうするとね、中から人間が、すこうし戸をあけるからね、その戸の隙間から、こっちの手、ほらこの人間の手をさし入れてね、この手にちょうどいい手袋頂戴って言うんだよ、わかったね、決して、こっちのお手々を出しちゃ駄目よ」と母さん狐は言いきかせました。
Then a human will open the door just a little from inside, so through the gap in the door you put in this hand, see, this human hand, and say, 'Please give me mittens that are just right for this hand.' Do you understand? You must never put out this other hand," the mother fox told him carefully.
-
「母ちゃん、こんな寒い夜は、森の子狐は寒い寒いって啼いてるでしょうね」
"Mommy, on a cold night like this, the little fox in the forest must be crying, 'It's cold, it's cold.'"
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜てくれる
Meaning: Someone does something for the speaker (or for the person the story follows).
Form: Verb て-form + くれる
In this story
-
「人間はね、相手が狐だと解ると、手袋を売ってくれないんだよ、それどころか、掴まえて檻の中へ入れちゃうんだよ、人間ってほんとに恐いものなんだよ」
"If humans find out they are dealing with a fox, they won't sell you mittens. Worse than that, they catch you and put you in a cage. Humans are truly frightening things."
-
お母さんが道々よく教えてくれた、黒い大きなシルクハットの帽子の看板が、青い電燈に照されてかかっていました。
The sign of a big black top hat, which his mother had told him about so carefully on the way, was hanging there, lit by a blue electric light.
-
だって、子狐が眠る時にも、やっぱり母さん狐は、あんなやさしい声でゆすぶってくれるからです。
For when the cub went to sleep, his own mother, too, rocked him with just such a gentle voice.
-
-
JLPT N2 estimated
〜どころか
Meaning: "Far from ...; let alone ...": the truth is much further away than the first idea.
Form: Plain form / Noun + どころか
In this story
-
「人間はね、相手が狐だと解ると、手袋を売ってくれないんだよ、それどころか、掴まえて檻の中へ入れちゃうんだよ、人間ってほんとに恐いものなんだよ」
"If humans find out they are dealing with a fox, they won't sell you mittens. Worse than that, they catch you and put you in a cage. Humans are truly frightening things."
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜ちゃう／〜ちゃった
Meaning: The spoken, shortened form of 〜てしまう／〜てしまった (〜でしまう becomes 〜じゃう).
Form: Verb て-form without て + ちゃう（入れてしまう → 入れちゃう）
In this story
-
「人間はね、相手が狐だと解ると、手袋を売ってくれないんだよ、それどころか、掴まえて檻の中へ入れちゃうんだよ、人間ってほんとに恐いものなんだよ」
"If humans find out they are dealing with a fox, they won't sell you mittens. Worse than that, they catch you and put you in a cage. Humans are truly frightening things."
-
「坊、間違えてほんとうのお手々出しちゃったの。
"I made a mistake and put out my real hand.
-
-
JLPT N5 estimated
〜てはいけない
Meaning: "Must not ...; may not ...": tells someone not to do something.
Form: Verb て-form + はいけない（いけません）
In this story
-
「決して、こっちの手を出しちゃいけないよ、こっちの方、ほら人間の手の方をさしだすんだよ」と言って、母さんの狐は、持って来た二つの白銅貨を、人間の手の方へ握らせてやりました。
"You must never put out this hand. This one, see, hold out the human hand," she said, and the mother fox put the two nickel coins she had brought into the human hand.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜きり
Meaning: "Only ...; just ...": no more than that number or amount.
Form: Noun (number of people or things) + きり
In this story
-
始めのうちは一つきりだった灯が二つになり三つになり、はては十にもふえました。
At first there had been only one light, but it became two, then three, and in the end there were as many as ten.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜そうだ（様態）
Meaning: "Looks like ...; seems about to ...": based on how something looks or feels.
Form: Verb ます-stem / Adjective stem + そうだ
In this story
-
やがて町にはいりましたが通りの家々はもうみんな戸を閉めてしまって、高い窓から暖かそうな光が、道の雪の上に落ちているばかりでした。
Before long he entered the town, but the houses along the street had all shut their doors already, and only warm-looking light fell from the high windows onto the snow in the road.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜とおり（に）
Meaning: "Just as ...; exactly as ...".
Form: Verb た-form / Noun + の + とおり（通り）
In this story
-
子狐は教えられた通り、トントンと戸を叩きました。
Just as he had been told, the cub knocked on the door, knock-knock.
-
-
JLPT N4 estimated
〜と（発見）
Meaning: "When I did ..., (I found that) ...": what one noticed right after an action.
Form: Verb (plain / polite) + と
In this story
-
帽子屋さんはそれを人差指のさきにのっけて、カチ合せて見ると、チンチンとよい音がしましたので、これは木の葉じゃない、ほんとのお金だと思いましたので、棚から子供用の毛糸の手袋をとり出して来て子狐の手に持たせてやりました。
The hatter set them on the tip of his forefinger and knocked them together. They rang with a good clink, so he thought, "These are not leaves, this is real money," and he took a pair of children's woolen mittens down from the shelf and put them in the cub's hand.
-
ある窓の下を通りかかると、人間の声がしていました。
As he passed beneath a certain window, he heard a human voice.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
特別な尊敬語（いらっしゃる・おっしゃる・くださる）
Meaning: Special honorific verbs that show respect for the person who acts: いらっしゃる (to be, come, go), おっしゃる (to say), くださる (to give).
Form: いる / 来る / 行く → いらっしゃる、言う → おっしゃる、くれる → くださる
In this story
-
「お母さんは、人間は恐ろしいものだって仰有ったがちっとも恐ろしくないや。
"Mother said that humans are frightening, but they aren't frightening at all.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜もの（理由）
Meaning: Put at the end of a sentence to give a reason, often when explaining or excusing oneself. Used mostly by women and children; もん is even more casual.
Form: Plain form + もの
In this story
-
だって僕の手を見てもどうもしなかったもの」と思いました。
After all, he saw my hand and didn't do a thing to me," he thought.
-
ちゃんとこんないい暖い手袋くれたもの」
He gave me these nice warm mittens, just as he should,"
-
-
JLPT N5 estimated
〜たい
Meaning: "Want to ...": the speaker's wish.
Form: Verb ます-stem + たい
In this story
-
けれど子狐はいったい人間なんてどんなものか見たいと思いました。
But the cub wanted to see what on earth humans were really like.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜に違いない
Meaning: "Must be ...; surely ...": the speaker is certain.
Form: Plain form / Noun + に違いない（違いありません）
In this story
-
子狐はその唄声は、きっと人間のお母さんの声にちがいないと思いました。
The cub thought that singing voice must surely be the voice of a human mother.
-
-
JLPT N3 estimated
〜かしら
Meaning: "I wonder ...": the speaker asks herself a question. Used mostly by women.
Form: Plain form + かしら（Noun / な-adjective without だ）
In this story
-
とあきれましたが、「ほんとうに人間はいいものかしら。
in amazement, but then, "I wonder if humans are really good.
-
ほんとうに人間はいいものかしら」とつぶやきました。
I wonder if humans are really good," she murmured.
-